Band release

ABSTRACT

Separation of a fastening band is accomplished by firing a small shaped charge device in such a way as to cut a link in the band. The shaped charge device is contained in an adapter which positions the charge over the link and confines the force of the charge to the desired area. The adapter holds the shaped charge device to a timer mechanism in position to be detonated by a stab primer or the like.

Unlted States Patent 1 51 3,661,084 Noles 1451 May 9, 1972 541 BAND RELEASE 3,185,090 5/1965 Weber ..102/24 11c 3,336,868 8/1967 Rush et al..... .102/24 HC [72] Cahf- 3,319,520 5/1967 Stefano et 81.... ..s9 1 B [73] Assignee; The United States of America as 3,404,649 10/ 1968 Valihora ..102/49.5 UX

represented by the Secretary of the Navy Primary Examiner-Verlin R. Pendegrass [221 P 1969 Attorney-R. s. Sciascia, Roy Miller and Gerald F. Baker 21 A 1.N.: 855011 I 1 pp 57 ABSTRACT 52 u.s.c1. ..102/2411c 102/495 R 89/1 B SEmmi 0f fastening band is mmplished by a 511 1m. (:1 ..F4 2b 3/08 Small shaped charge device in such a way as a link 58, M {Se h "102 H I ;8 band. The shaped charge device is contained in an adapter 1 le o are /24 49 5 9/1 B which positions the charge over the link and confines the force [56] Reerences Cited of the charge to the desired area. The adapter holds the shaped charge device to a timer mechanism in position to be detonated by a stab primer or the like.

2 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAY 9 I972 3,661,084

44 y F G 6 INVEN'I'UR RONALD c. NOLES 42 BY ROY MILLER ATTORNEY.

V GERALD F. BAKER AGENT.

BAND RELEASE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the deployment of aerially delivered weapons, pyrotechnics and the like, it has been common to separate portions of the assembly upon delivery or after delivery in a controlled sequence of events. Deployment of the Briteye flare, for example, necessitates the separation of a conical nose section from a cylindrical body section, in order to deploy a suspension balloon packed in the nose section. The two sections are held together by a V-band comprising two separable segments which have, in the past, been separated by electrically actuated explosive bolts or by pin pullers, etc.

The present invention provides a less expensive, more reliable device for this purpose which device rates high in safety and reliability factor. In practice, a small linear shaped charge has its shooting face placed at right angles to a link fastened in the band and facing the round. The charge is contained and directed by its container resulting in zero fragmentation in contrast to the unpredictable fragmentation, for example, from explosive bolts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the device in place over a strap bridging segments of a band holding together two cylindrical sections;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along line II II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of a preferred embodiment of the device;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line IV IV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4A is a cross sectional view taken along line IVA IVA of FIG. 4;

FIG. 5 is an end view similar to FIG. 3, in finally assembled form;

FIG. 6 is cross sectional view similar to FIG. 4 in final configuration; and

FIG. 7 is plan view partly in cross section looking in the direction of arrow VII in FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In FIG. 1 the band cutter 10 is shown mounted on a timer 12 which is in turn mounted on a section 19 of a pyrotechnic device, for example. A second section 15 of the pyrotechnic device is attached to section 19 by means of a V-band 14 (See FIG. 2.) having two segments fastened together on one side, for example, by a threaded bolt (not shown) and on another side, by a severable strap 16 shown spot welded onto the two band segments. The strap 16 is fiat and has two upstanding aligning ears l8 spaced apart a sufficient distance to provide clearance for band cutter 10 (See FIG. 4A).

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the band cutter 10 comprises an elongated cylindrical block portion 20 and a pair of wing portions 22, 24 integral therewith. The cylindrical portion 20 is flattened or relieved at 26 as by removal of metal therefrom by milling. The chord of this flattened portion is approximately one-third the distance from the bottom of cylindrical portion 20. Cylindrical portion 20 is center bored at 28 and has two off-center bores 32, 34 in close proximity to said chord. All three of the above-mentioned bores communicate to form space for a small shaped charge 40 (FIG. 4A).

A counterbore 30 is provided concentric with the bore 28 and the side plates 22, 24 are drilled and counter sunk at 36, 38 to accommodate two attachment screws for fastening the cutter 10 to a timer or the like. In FIG. 4A, a cross section of the cutter is shown with the shaped charge 40 situated in bore 28 with portions protruding into bores 32, 34.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show how a sleeve 42 containing a primer cap 44 is placed in counterbore 30 and secured in place, for example by staking as shown at 45 in FIG. 5. Cap 44 is a simple stab primer detonator and sleeve 42 is ported at 46 to facilitate ignition of shaped charge 40 when t e cap 44 is detonated by, a

stab from a firing pin (not shown) under the control of timer 12.

What is claimed is: l. Separable fastening means comprising: a plurality of V-shaped band segments shaped to receive abutting flanges of cylindrical bodies; means linking said band segments including an elongated flat severable strap fastened between two band segments; an elongated shaped charge explosive device in close proximity to and spaced from said strap across the longitudinal width thereof; said explosive device comprising a generally cylindrical solid container having a concentric first bore and a shorter concentric counter bore and having two spaced offset bores longitudinally intersecting and communicating with said first bore; and an angular explosive charge having an apex and two legs situated in said container such that said apex is in said first bore opposite said offset bores and said legs extend into respective ones of said offset bores. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said solid container comprises:

a relieved portion substantially longitudinally coextensive with said explosive charge; said relieved portion following a chord parallel to and in close proximity to said offset bores so that the remaining material between said offset bores and said chord is considerably thinner than the material of the container elsewhere; and a primer device fastened in said counterbore for detonation of said explosive. 

1. Separable fastening means comprising: a plurality of V-shaped band segments shaped to receive abutting flanges of cylindrical bodies; means linking said band segments including an elongated flat severable strap fastened between two band segments; an elongated shaped charge explosive device in close proximity to and spaced from said strap across the longitudinal width thereof; said explosive device comprising a generally cylindrical solid container having a concentric first bore and a shorter concentric counter bore and having two spaced offset bores longitudinally intersecting and communicating with said first bore; and an angular explosive charge having an apex and two legs situated in said container such that said apex is in said first bore opposite said offset bores and said legs extend into respective ones of said offset bores.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said solid container comprises: a relieved portion substantially longitudinally coextensive with said explosive charge; said relieved portion following a chord parallel to and in close proximity to said offset bores so that the remaining material between said offset bores and said chord is considerably thinner than the material of the container elsewhere; and a primer device fastened in said counterbore for detonation of said explosive. 